Thursday evening, breakdown in Paris. Saturday morning, the next stand opens in Amsterdam. In between: around 500 kilometres, two borders, and a window with no room for error.
For international events, that is entirely normal. Kit, promotional material and stands move on from one event to the next, often without ever going back to head office. In logistics this is called cross-trade: the shipment travels between two places, neither of which is your own base.
This guide covers how these moves work within Europe, which option suits which leg, and what to prepare so your kit is at the next venue on time.
Cross-trade: straight from one event to the next
Not every shipment has to go through a central hub first. Depending on the time window, size and urgency, we work out the most sensible route and arrange collection and delivery door to door — even when neither end is in Germany.
That might be a single parcel, several shipments at once, pallets or a larger load. For anything particularly time-critical, there are also direct drives in our own vehicles and on-board couriers.
Examples from real events
Paris → Amsterdam. After breakdown, the tech, promotional material and stand need to be at the next venue the following day. We look for the fastest connection available.
Barcelona → Lisbon. The roadshow moves on and the kit has to reach the next stop. Legs like this can be arranged through our network as well.
Munich → Milan → Paris. Several events, several countries, one logistics partner: we coordinate each leg around your event schedule.
Peak season: when several events run at once
In peak season, the logistics workload for companies, agencies and organisers rises sharply. Typically, that means:
- several trade fairs running in parallel,
- roadshows in different countries,
- product launches with tight time windows,
- kit that has to go straight from one venue to the next.
At that point, simply booking a parcel service is not enough. You need a partner who keeps the whole route in view and can react at short notice. With our network of local teams and locations in 209 countries, we coordinate international transport and bring in local contacts on every leg.
Express, road freight or a direct drive?
The right option depends on the shipment, the route and the time window:
- Express for urgent shipments with predictable door-to-door delivery.
- Road freight for pallets and larger volumes, as part or full loads within Europe.
- Same-day and time-critical when the shipment genuinely cannot lose any time. Depending on the route, that means next flight out, an on-board courier or an exclusive direct drive.
- Special services for trade fair and event material, oversized items, high-value shipments and transport with particular handling or delivery requirements.
What matters when moving event kit around Europe
A few things decide whether your kit arrives on time, whoever is moving it:
- Know the build-up and breakdown times. Every venue has its own windows for collection and delivery. They are usually set out in the organiser's logistics or exhibitor manual, and they determine which options are realistic.
- Plan around weekends. Many event changeovers fall on a weekend, when a lot of European countries restrict heavy goods vehicles. In Germany, for example, lorries over 7.5 tonnes are generally not allowed to run on Sundays and public holidays. For anything moving over a weekend, this is often the deciding factor.
- Think about customs. If the tour stays within the EU, event material generally needs no customs formalities. If it takes in a country outside the EU, such as Switzerland, the UK or Norway, the kit is imported and later re-exported. For exhibition goods the standard document is the ATA Carnet, issued in Germany by the chambers of commerce (IHKs); it does not cover giveaways or anything used up at the event. Allow time for it.
- Pack for several legs. Kit that passes through several venues is best kept in sturdy, reusable flight cases, with a packing list for each case and labels that can be swapped for every leg.
- Name a contact at every venue. Who takes delivery on site, and who releases the kit for collection at breakdown? A name and a phone number for each stop can save hours.
One contact for the whole tour
With international events, the challenge is rarely the individual transport. It is the coordination:
- Where is the kit collected from?
- When will the kit be ready?
- What is the delivery window at the venue?
- Which route makes most sense?
- And what happens if the event schedule changes at short notice?
We put together the right solution and remain your contact for the shipment throughout. Paris to Amsterdam, Barcelona to Lisbon, or right across Europe to your next event: tell us what needs to be where, and by when, and we will work out the best way to get it there.
What we need for a quote
In peak season it pays to plan transport early, but we are just as happy to look at short-notice and time-critical requests. Send us:
- the collection and delivery locations, and every stop for a multi-leg tour,
- dimensions and weight,
- the delivery window you need at the venue.
We will tell you which transport option makes sense for your route. The quickest way to reach us is our contact page. And if your next show is in Munich, we have a separate checklist for exhibitors.